Astraea Press is celebrating their first cover reveal; Wendy Knight's Fate on Fire novella, Feudlings in Sight! Available Thursday on Astraea Press, Amazon, and all other major ebook retailers!

Blurb: Boys of war suck at romance. Charity Delyle has lived in the shadow of her Prodigy cousin and his powerful Guard since the day she was born. And she doesn’t mind—really. Except that being in Hunter’s shadow means that he can’t see her. And she’d like that to change. Hunter has one purpose in life: Protect the Prodigy, or die trying. That means a social life, school, and even Charity come last until the war is over. For the most part, he’s okay with that—he can lose everything if he has to…except his seer. Starting at a new school should be much safer than living in a war-ravaged Carules headquarters. But this new school is different than the others. Friendships are forged and destinies are questioned, and Hunter’s decision could cost them all everything they’ve been hoping for.

Excerpt: “Okay, do you want to practice the ones we learned last week or just start new ones?” She had carefully color-coded the spell book with sticky tabs — spells they had mastered, spells they had practiced, spells that would come in handy one day — she was very organized. And if the Council ever found out she put sticky tabs in a book that was over three hundred years old, they would kill her completely dead. “Learn as much as you can, Shane. Gonna be hard to find a place to practice in the mountains of Utah, surrounded by Normals.” Hunter idly traced spells in the air, letting them fizzle and die without igniting them. “Well, alright.” Charity flipped to the red section — spells that would come in handy one day. She started at the top. “This one is called an Al-able.” The odd word rolled awkwardly off her tongue. “It’s like… it looks like it’s sort of a flat triangle of flames.” Hunter and Shane both walked over, studying the spell in the book before tracing it slowly into the air. The spell wouldn’t actually ignite until they lit it with the flames roiling through their blood, but they both wanted to make sure they could do it correctly so as not to explode them all to pieces or something. “No, no, Hunter. Less harsh lines. Softer.” Charity glanced down at the page and then up at Hunter’s disaster of an attempt. Sighing she laid the book on the metal next to her and pushed herself to her feet. She took Hunter’s hand, trying hard to ignore the way her own blood seemed to explode into flames. There’s no magic there, she told herself harshly. “Like this.” She led his hand through the spell until the air smoked and the image burned in front of them. She looked up, got caught in his gold eyes. He watched her, an unreadable look on his face. It made her heart stutter in her chest. Before he could say anything she dropped his hand. “Now try it on your own. I can’t do everything for you, you know.” Charity grinned playfully, dodging out of the way as he tried to push her over. She rescued the book from the twisted metal and perched, watching them expectantly. “Go. Do something.” Shane rolled his eyes. “Give the girl a book and she’s suddenly the boss.” He moved away several feet so he wouldn’t accidentally ignite her. He’d done it before, and Charity didn’t relish the idea of it happening again.

BIO: Wendy Knight was born and raised in Utah by a wonderful family who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she spends her time driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no water after five, terror when faced with a live phone call, etcetera, etcetera). She also enjoys chasing her three adorable kids, playing tennis, watching football, reading, and hiking. Camping is also big: her family is slowly working toward a goal of seeing all the National Parks in the U.S. You can usually find her with at least one Pepsi nearby, wearing ridiculously high heels for whatever the occasion may be. And if everything works out just right, she will also be writing.

Lady Laura Montgomery would much rather spend her summer at the family estate, but instead she must act as her stepsister's chaperone for the London season. She takes solace in her poetry books and in her love of music. They're all she has to comfort her as she once again faces the one man who stole her heart ten years ago. Andrew Bradford, Earl of Covington, needs an heir, but he's not looking for love. His mother has made her selection, but he can't help being drawn to the girl's chaperone. Can he hope to make a match based on more than beauty and suitability?

Excerpt: Andrew had just settled back in his chair when the most beautiful music floated through the open window. At first, he thought it was his imagination. But the uplifting of his soul was not imagined. The smile on his face was real, as was the voice he heard. Quiet at first, as if the singer tried to hide it, the smooth soprano melody was barely discernible. But gradually, the singer gained confidence, and the volume grew, to Andrew’s delight. The song was one familiar to him — a Scottish air his nanny had sung to him when he was small — and he absently hummed the melody along with the singer. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Suddenly, the weight of his worries drained away. The dull ache in his forehead eased, and he breathed more easily. Who was the mystery singer? The voice was cultured and had the maturity of a woman but without the force of one trained for the stage. Still, the music was pleasing to his ears… and to his world-weary soul. He settled back to enjoy the performance. But as soon as it had begun, the singing stopped. An undistinguishable voice called out a command, the singer responded, and footsteps receded away from him. And as the volume of her footsteps decreased, so did his state of euphoria. Silently, he thanked the singer for providing a welcome respite from his daily drudgery. It had been a pleasant interlude, but now it was time to return to his life and responsibilities. With a rueful twist of his mouth, he sorted through the day’s correspondence.

Love's Refrain is Patricia Kiyono's seventh release with Astraea Press. During her first career, she taught elementary music, computer classes, elementary classrooms, and junior high social studies. She now teaches music education at the university level. She lives in southwest Michigan with her husband, not far from her children and grandchildren. Current interests, aside from writing, include sewing, crocheting, scrapbooking, and music. A love of travel and an interest in faraway people inspires her to create stories about different cultures.

Today is the release day for my new book THE DECEPTION OF DEVIN MILLER! I’d love for you to check it out. It’s only 99 cents until Saturday as an early bird special and also as a thank you. On Saturday, it’ll go to its regular price, $2.99. Be sure to tell your friends and neighbors about Devin. Thanks for having me here on release day! Enjoy the excerpt from chapter one.

Who would you trust if you didn’t know anybody, but they all knew you? Chapter One I heard the voices but couldn't place them in the darkness.Your prom dress is in! You'll look fab when your bruises disappear.Cooper feels really bad, you know? Wake up so he can stop moping.What were you thinking?Come on, Sweetie. Open your eyes for me.You got what you deserved. You get that, right?I hate being here. Seriously? You couldn't have waited for my side of the story? Of all the people to be stuck with… I couldn't move, couldn't answer any of them. I tried but everything felt so strange like I was at the bottom of a pool after diving from the board. Voices were muffled and came in and out. I didn't know how long I'd been in the darkness, but I knew I wanted out. One day, the dark water started swirling around me. Like coming up after a dive, the current roared in my ears. Rising to the surface, I opened my eyes and gasped for air that didn't immediately come. Everything was blurry. I had no idea where I was. All I knew was there was something shoved down my throat keeping me from breathing, and I fought to jerk it out. How in the world could I breathe better beneath the surface than I could with my head above water? "Hey, calm down. Stop pulling it," a distorted male voice echoed in my ears. I felt pressure on my arms as if something was holding me down. Terrified that this thing was going to hurt me, I fought harder. "Stop," the voice ordered more firmly. "Quit! Ugh… I'll go get the doctor."Doctor! Nothing made sense after that. People ran in with distorted eyes telling me not to freak out. They didn't look human with their twisted faces and larger than average foreheads. I'd been abducted by aliens? "We're going to get this out of you, okay?" someone said, a man by the sound of his deep, raspy voice, while standing over me and holding the tube coming from my throat. It was uncomfortable to say the least, and I gagged as it slid out of my mouth. Thankfully once it was gone, I could breathe again. The weight lifted from my chest and my lungs filled with the air I put into them. As I calmed down a bit, the people began taking more of a normal shape. I noticed they didn't have gigantic heads, and they were, in fact, dressed like medical personnel. I scanned the room and assumed from the dull walls, pain chart hanging across from me, and the wide door to my right that I was in the hospital, which made sense with the all the beeping and tubes. What I didn't know at the moment was how I got there. "And she just woke up?" A man with a graying beard and blue scrubs asked the young guy in black standing next to him. "Yeah, just like that. Scared me to death — relatively speaking of course." I remembered that voice. I'd heard it in the darkness. Not the scary voice that was too whispered to recognize. The unhappy one. "Okay, you stay here and sit with her while I call her parents." "Sit with her? Me? Why? I have other patients to see." "You go to school with her, right?" "Well, yeah, but…" "Then the others can wait." The man in blue smacked the other guy on the back. "Don't look so sad. Maybe you'll even make a friend." I heard laughter in the man's voice as he left the room, leaving me there with this guy I didn't know at all though he told the doctor he knew me. "Do you need anything? Anything at all," a female nurse, I guess it was a nurse, asked from my right side. I followed the sound of her voice until I saw her face then kept going until I saw a tall pole with a line coming out of it. Presumably my IV. What in the world was I doing in the hospital? I shook my head as an answer because my throat felt raw from the miserable tube that had been so rudely shoved down in it. The nurse lady patted me on the shoulder — they liked to pat here — and told the other guy she'd be back in a few minutes and to try to get me talking. What if I didn't want to talk? Did I want to talk? Talking seemed painful, and what in the world would I talk about to a stranger? She handed me the nurse call button and left. The chaos had died down, and it was just me and the strange guy. He seemed irritated and a little nervous as he pulled one of the little blue, uncomfortable-looking hospital chairs closer to my bed, but not close enough to touch which I appreciated. I clung to the nurse call button as tightly as I could just in case he started freaking me out. As he sat there like a lump, I studied him. He seemed familiar and I felt like I should know him from somewhere, but I didn't. He had jet, more than likely unnaturally, black hair, cut short around his ears and longer and floppier on top. It was fixed with some sort of styling gel or maybe it just laid like that on its own. How he styled his hair wasn't exactly important in the scheme of things. He had big beautiful blue eyes, the kind of blue that were so light you couldn't look away if you tried. The blue popped thanks to a trace amount of black liner around his eyes. It wasn't an ungodly amount: no raccoon eyes by any means. But it was enough make them stand out. I really liked it. It suited him. His nose was on the bigger side and had a rounder appearance, but he definitely wasn't unattractive. On the side of his neck, I saw something that looked like a hickey. Seemed a bit inappropriate to wear a hickey to a hospital. By the way his plump lips fell in a straight, stern line I could tell he definitely wasn't happy. I didn't know if it was me personally he wasn't happy with or the situation in general. It couldn't have been me. I didn't know him. "Welcome back to the land of the living," he said finally with a hint of agitation in his voice. Was he always so bitter? "We were — they were worried about you." What was I supposed to say to that? Um… "Thanks." My voice came out harsh and not feminine at all. It made me a bit embarrassed that this not so bad-looking guy had to hear me sound like a thirty year smoker, but it wasn't like I could help it. I didn't put the stupid tube down my own throat. "I guess I should say that you gave everyone quite a scare." He leaned his elbows on his knees and stared at me. It wasn't a happy stare. "Sorry about that." And I was. I just wished I knew who everyone was or why I scared them. His eyes squinted, and I felt my face flush. Why was he looking at me like that? He took a l-o-n-g deep breath before speaking again. When he did, he didn't sound as angry. "Are you okay?" Want to read more? Find it on AmazonBarnes and NobleSmashwords

Kelly Martin a southern girl who writes... a lot. She is the author of SAINT SLOAN and Grace Award winning, CROSSING THE DEEP. By day, she is a teacher. By night, she has her hair in a bun and her fingers on a keyboard. She loves God, is addicted to chocolate, and would rather write than sleep. Kelly loves a good mystery and believes in Sherlock Holmes. You can find her at http://kellymartinbooks.blogspot.com/ She's also on twitter: https://twitter.com/martieKay And on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelly-Martin-Author/136506059763138

I have a number of responsibilities as wife, mother, daughter, vet, neighbour and friend…but despite this, nothing quite prepared me for the responsibility of looking after my youngest son’s bearded dragon whilst he is away. Gravos (the dragon) means the world to my son. When he first rescued Gravos he said it was “A dream come true” – and indeed, it was for us as a family because my son went from being a grumpy, non-communicative teenager to a person you could talk to. Gravos has now been part of the family for ten months and as each day passes the bond between boy and dragon deepens. Before Gravos came to us he lived in a small outbuilding and spent all day/ night staring at the back of a closed wooden door. He had no stimulation apart from the roar of jet planes landing at Heathrow, and as a result was withdrawn and shy. Because of my son’s patience and devotion, Gravos is slowly discovering his self-confidence and starting to interact with us and his new world. My son is adamant that routinue is key to gaining Gravos’ confidence: and there’s the rub. With my son away for 10 days at a school camp, you-know-how has the responsibility of encouraging a shy lizard to eat, to bath him (every other day, on a vegetable feed day), handling him (on live food days), waking him at 7 am precisely (yes, I thought that to!) and putting him to bed (heat lamp off 9.15pm, UV light off 9.30pm) and cover the viviarium with a dressing gown overnight. Thoughtfully my son left 2 pages of written instructions pinned to his bedroom wall…and as he succinctly wrote at the end of page two: “That’s it… until tomorrow.”

Charles Huntley, Lord Ryevale, infamous rogue…and government agent. In unsettled times, with England at war with France, Ryevale is assigned to covertly protect a politician’s daughter, Miss Verity Verrinder. To keep Verity under his watchful eye, Ryevale plots a campaign of seduction that no woman can resist– except it seems, Miss Verrinder. In order to gain her trust Ryevale enters Verity’s world of charity meetings and bookshops…where the unexpected happens and he falls in love with his charge. When Lord Ryevale turns his bone-melting charms on her, Verity questions his lordship’s motivation. But with her controlling father abroad, Verity wishes to explore London and reluctantly accepts Ryevale’s companionship. As the compelling attraction between them strengthens, Verity is shattered to learn her instincts are correct after all – and Ryevale is not what he seems. So if Lord Ryevale can lie, so can she… with disastrous consequences.

Excerpt Ryevale's mind raced. At last, the opportunity he'd been craving; no more reporting gossip but something real and tangible, as well as a chance to travel, to meet foreign powers and to be at the hub of decision making. This is what he needed; here was the solution to his listlessness. Lord Liverpool continued. "But we have one problem... Lord Bruton, is concerned about his daughter, Miss Verity Verrinder. With her father away she becomes an obvious target for kidnappers wishing to halt negotiations. He needs someone to watch over and protect her. If needs be, to guard with his life." Lord Ryevale's eyes widened as he realized the true nature of the task; dreams of negotiations and secret pacts came crashing down round his ears. "Me? You want me to nanny his daughter?" Bruton's eyes narrowed with antagonism, and Lord Liverpool placed a restraining hand on his arm. "John, 'tis a natural enough reaction to the request." A noise like a growl issued from Bruton's throat. "If you think I'm happy, Ryevale, you are much mistaken. But I need to know Verity is safe, and Liverpool assures me you are the best." "So you see," Lord Liverpool continued gravely, "you would be doing the country a great service." A slow smile cracked Ryevale's lips. "You are aware of my reputation, my lords?" Bruton all but snarled, "Indeed. But Lord Liverpool explained that you cultivated superficiality to gain the confidence of traitors and spy on them." "Indeed, a mostly accurate appraisal." "And in these circumstances, even I must agree it provides the perfect cover. Who would think twice about a gentleman with a liking for ladies setting his cap at an attractive young woman such as my Verity?" Ryevale kept his own counsel on the accuracy of the latter statement: to his mind, frumpy and disordered were more apt descriptions. "No one suspects you are a government agent, leaving you well placed to protect my daughter." The logic was irrefutable. "And let me add that if you in any way molest my daughter, it will be my personal mission to see to you are never welcomed in society again. You will be blackballed from all decent clubs, a social outcaste without friends. I will have your estate confiscated and your family ruined. Understood?" "Most clearly, my lord." The Prime Minister interjected. "Lord Bruton has my personal assurance that you will be the perfect gentleman at all times. Besides if any whisper of inappropriate behavior reaches my ears, you will be incarcerated in the Tower for a very long time...""My actions will be impeccable, as if Miss Verrinder were my own sister." At least Ryevale felt confident on this score since plain, bookish young women did not inspire him to seduction. "It goes without saying that Verity will remain ignorant of your assignment. I do not want her alarmed. If she realizes my job puts her in danger, she will be distressed for my safety, and I cannot countenance that." An altogether more practical thought occurred to Ryevale. The one and only time he'd encountered Miss Verrinder she'd been decidedly unimpressed. How to put this concern tactfully to her father? "What of the young lady in question? The scheme relies on her welcoming my company. We may not get along." A rare smile flickered across Lord Liverpool's face. "Surely you aren’t losing your touch? What of that famous Ryevale charm?" "Very good, my lord." Ryevale bowed, acknowledging the Prime Minister's point. If anyone could turn a young woman's head, he could.

Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and author of historical romance by night. Grace lives near London and is passionate about history, romance and cats! She is housekeeping staff to five cats, two sons, one husband and a bearded dragon (not necessarily listed in order of importance). “Verity’s Lie” is Grace’s fourth novel.

One weekend last month, we traveled to a local park and spent the day on the lake. No we don’t own canoes, or boats, or anything like that, we rented them. The kids had a blast, my son’s friends think we’re cool, and everyone in the house—except me, I wore sunscreen—was a nice pink color.

First we canoed, price of $3.50 an hour per boat…I challenge anyone to do this for longer than an hour. My son is a like a powerhouse and I struggled to make the kid understand “leisurely” paddling. After this we enjoyed lunch under some shade trees before returning to the boat dock for our second round of bodily torture—paddle boating.

Price again was $3.50 an hour per boat and four people can fit on one boat. This works the opposite muscles from the canoe but is no less difficult. Personally I think my boat was defective. It just didn’t want to move in the forward position. Backwards, however, seemed to strike a cord with the vehicle.

Now I could stop there. Fourteen dollars for an afternoon worth of fun is a great price but I had to follow it up. I was thirst! My family and I stopped at McDonald’s for a Frappe.

May I say I was vastly disappointed. The first McDonald’s was cleaning their machine, in the middle of a hot summer day, hmm. And the second McDonald’s (yes I wanted one that bad) left huge hunks of ice in my Frappe. This of course added to the expense of our trip but I’ll leave it to you whether you want to add this to yours.

Thanks again for stopping by. I don’t have any books that discuss being on the lake or drinking frappes, but feel free to check out the works I do have on the Books page of this website. And as always thanks for stopping by. You’re comments are encouraged and welcomed.

I hope you've enjoyed the blog posts about day trips. Don't forget to register for the Kindle Fire (click on the Kindle Fire Giveaway Tab above) and to check out my books. And as always, thanks for stopping by!

A-list actress Deb Atkins hasn’t allowed her glamorous lifestyle to go to her head. She owes this to her wonderful family, who keeps her grounded. So, for Deb, not just any man will do, especially if he’s part of the Hollywood elite. Most actors have one thing on their mind, and happily ever after isn’t it. Until she meets Zach Sparks, her new co-star. Zach Sparks is famous not just for his acting skills, but his quick wit and good looks. One glance at Deb, and he's smitten. After a drunken night at a Vegas premiere after-party, one thing leads to another. The result: marriage. Deb is appalled by her actions. So much so, she and Zach can't get along on the set. Their producer demands they spend Christmas holidays together to work out their differences or they're both fired. Driven by selfish motivations, they don't expect to fall in love over Christmas or for their marriage to turn into a real one. But can their tenuous relationship withstand a bigger test than either of them ever imagined?

Excerpt:

“It doesn’t have to end,” she said, stepping into his embrace. “Hold me,” she demanded and looked as his full lips curled into a satisfied smile. “What…” He cleared his throat. “What are you doing?” “I’m saying the photographers don’t exist. I want you to kiss me.” Zach’s eyes narrowed, although she detected a hint of a smile in their depths. She could feel the evidence against her stomach that he, indeed, wanted her. But photographs were being taken too rapidly at this point to think clearly. “You think they don’t already have a juicy story just by the way we’re standing and looking at each other, wearing our wedding rings?” “Probably.” But he still didn’t move to kiss her. “Then let’s give ’em a show,” she said Zach cracked one of those disbelieving smiles and glanced toward the cameras. “You guys want us to give you what you’re after?” A chorus of “yeahs” erupted and Zach smiled, twirling her around so the majority of the crowd could get a good view. Deb grinned up at him, loving this fun side. “Hey, you!” Zach said as he pointed to a particular photographer. “What kind of shot will get you the most money?” “Kiss her!” The others chimed in. “Feel her up!” the photographer called with a grin. Zach looked down at her, pure mischief dancing in the depths of his eyes. “You’re giving me permission to do this?” She shrugged. “Why not? We can always claim later it was a set up.” He frowned. “Why? No reason for us to be ashamed. I’ve felt you up plenty before. And we are married.” Winking, he pulled her flush against him. “Everybody ready?” he called without taking his eyes off her. “I’m ready,” Deb whispered. Her body throbbed for his touch. With cameras perched, Zach kissed her. His tongue danced, mocking his mood, and she tried to catch him. Each time she thought he would settle in for a melting kiss, he withdrew and started all over again. The crowd voiced their displeasure. Silently, Deb booed too. Tearing away, Zach held his hand up. “Hold on, guys. We’re just getting warmed up.” Deb grinned and shook her head. Zach’s mouth settled over hers quietly. The photographers melted away. His hands were at the base of her spine, holding her close. Without much effort, she rubbed discreetly against him and he responded accordingly. His kiss turned hot and fervent. When each breath came quicker than the last and she felt out of control, the cheering brought her back to the present. Since Zach appeared to be more engrossed in other matters — like making her knees go weak — she reached around him and squeezed his butt. The crowd called out loudly and flashes were like strobe lights behind her lids. Zach pulled away, throwing his head back and laughing heartily. “You amaze me, Deb. That’s what I love about you.” Deb smiled back at him as he kissed her once more before they waved to the crowd and left. **Special Note** Tinseltown was previously released through another publisher. Astraea Press is re-releasing it in July 2013. Tinseltown will be exclusively available on Amazon. Purchase Link: AMAZON

STEPHANIE TAYLOR is a freelance editor, author and business owner. She spends her time making other authors’ dreams come true at Astraea Press as Editor in Chief and Owner. Stephanie opened Astraea Press because of the lack of non-erotic book publishers and has finally found a home for her books. Stephanie has a doctorate in multi-tasking and can actually walk a tightrope while balancing a dinner plate on her head and typing her next novel with the other. She lives in Alabama with her three children and her wonderful husband of eleven years.